Flash light



Feb. 19, 1935. H, BARBER ET AL 1,992,140

FLASH LIGHT Filed June 25, 1930 INVENTORS GfO/FGf HBARBEI? 600 /Ch 5.PRATT ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 19, 1935 FLASH LIGHT George H. BarbcnNewRochelle, N. Y., and Good- ,rich B. Pratt, Jersey, City, N. J.,assignors to Bond Electric Corporation,..l'ersey City, N. J., acorporation or Delaware 7 Application June 25, 1930, Serial No. 463,642

Claims.

This invention relates to flashlights and more particularly to electricflashlights wherein the cell or battery is carried within theflashlight,-.

The objects of the invention are to provide a new and more desirableflashlight ofthis type;

to provide for more ready removal of the battery or dry cell from theflashlight when desired; to position'the dry cell in such mannerth'atitcan be taken hold of at its end for removal when thebottom cap isremoved from the flashlight; to avoid, in some aspects of the invention,the use of springs or otherv loose parts in the bottom cap; to provideshock absorbing means between the lamp or lamp socket support and thedry cell; to provide means for mounting the shock absorbing means sothat it will not fall out upon removal of the dry cell; toutihze theshock absorbing means for partially. ejecting the dry cell when the capis removed; to permit access to both ends of the dry cell when necessaryfor forcibly ejecting the same; to provide a lamp socket support,preferably insulatory, at the upper end of the housing; to providereadily removable retaining means for holding said lamp socket'supportin place; and to secure simplicity and cheapness of construction andease of operation.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for theirattainment will be more apparent from the following detaileddescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingillustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized, andin which:

Figure l is a view showing, in side elevation, a flashlight embodyingthis i'nvention, parts being sectioned to disclose the entireconstruction.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the lamp socket support on anenlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a view looking from below and showing a lamp socket supportof Figure 2. I

Referring to Figure 1, the reference numeral 1 indicates the bodyportion or casing of the flashlight, the same being shown in the presentdisclosure as cylindrical with both ends open, and of insulatorymaterial although the invention is also applicable to a metallic casing.The casing 1 is adapted to receive-a dry cell orbattery 2 which also ispreferably cylindrical andof a size substantially fitting within thecylindrical casing 1 with an appropriate clearancecircumferentially andof a length somewhat shorter than the casing for purposes which willhereinafter appear. As is usual in devices of this character a miniatureelectric lamp, whereof the base is indicated at 3, is" carried at oneend behind a suitablelens 4, and a ottom cap 5 is provided at the otherend of the casing 1 for closing the same and holding the dry cell inplace. For convenience inreference, the end of the flashlight having thelamp will be referred to as the upper 5 end and the end having cap 5will be referred to as the lower end or bottom, although it is to beunderstood that these terms are used for the sake of convenience and arenot restrictive in any sense as to necessary relative positions of theparts. It may be noted at this point that the lower end of the casing'isshown provided with a threaded bottom capv collar 6 and that the bottomcap 5 is correspondingly threaded to be screwed onto or off of saidcollar 6. The bottom cap 5, furthermore, is of suitable metal and may,if de-' sired, obtain positive engagement with the shell or zinc cup ofthe dry cell and form, in effect, a contact portion, said shellconstituting one of the electrodes of the dry cell and the constructionthereby obtaining electric connection between the electrode and thecollar 6. A suitable contact strip orother electrical connection notshown, extends along the inside-of the casing l, n being connected atits lower end, as by rivet; 9, with thebottom cap collar 6 and beingconnected at its other end in any convenient manher with a suitablecircuit closing device, such as the switch 10, the circuit beingcontinued, as usual, by means or" another contact strip 11 extending tothe upper end of the casing 1'; a V

The lamp socket support 40-49 is preferably round or discelike tocorrespond to the'fcylindrical casing and of a size such that it willrest against or upon the end of the casing; as shown, to permit the lampsocket support to be removed from the end of the body portion to enablea finger or tool to be inserted into the casing to press against the drycell to eject it in the event that the dry cell has'swollen or corrodedand becomes wedged 40 in the casing. When this occurs, it is verydiflicult to extract the dry cell for replacement with a new one unlessprovision is made for pushing the deteriorated cell out. Thisconstruction therefore enables theend to be displaced to gain access tothe upper end of the dry cell for pushing it; v

Under certain circumstances it will'be unnecessary to open up the upperend of the flashlight for extracting'the battery. It will be observedthat the parts are so related that the lower end of the dry cell may, ifdesired, project a short distance beyond'the end of the casingl,the'bottom cap 5 being-so threaded as to enable it to accommodate thisprojection of the dry cell. Con-- '5 sequently, when the cap is removedthere will be a projecting margin of the end or" the dry cellacces'sible to be grasped by the fingers particularly when the shockabsorbing means or spring 54 has expanded and in ordinary circumstances,this will suffice to permit withdrawal of the battery.

The lamp socket support rests upon the upper end of casing 1 and, asshown, upon the end of the contact strip and is provided with aninterior depending annular metallic flange 44 of a size whichsubstantially fits into the casing 1. Upon applying the lamp socketsupporting disc 40 to the end of the casing said flange 44 enters thebody portion and because of its fit therein will frictionally andelectrically make contact with contact strip 11. To facilitate insertingof the flange 44, its lower edge is deflected inwardly as shown to form,in effect, a taper or frustro conical guide.

A disc 40 of insulatory material is formed centrally with a hole 41. Inregister with this hole 41 is a hole 42 formed in a metallic disc 43 oflesser diameter than the disc 40, so that the outer peripheral portionof disc 40 can rest on the end of the flashlight casing. Disc 43 alsohas the downwardly extending peripheral-flange 44. Discs 40 and 43 areheld together by an eyelet member 45 formed on the bottom of a lampsocket 46, the interior diameter of the eyelet 45 being sufficient topermit the passage of or receive the lower end of a lamp base 3. Forpurposes of assembly, discs 40 and 43 are first assembled as'a unit bymeans of the socket-eyelet member 45, 46. In constructing this eyeletmem ber 45, it will be observed that socket 46 is pressed outwardly intoa peripheral fold 47 which overlies the disc 40 and after the discs 40and 43 have been applied over the cylindrical end 45 of the socket theextremity 48 is upset or flanged outwardly to clamp the discs 40 and 43together. The parts united, as just described, form, in assembly whatmay be termed the first unit.

Immediately beneath the metal disc 43 is an insulatory disc 49 whichmay, if desired, be recess ed in its top surface, as at 50 to receivethe upset end of eyelet 45. To disc 49 is secured,

as by a rivet or eyelet 51, a metal disc 52 preferably of smallerdiameter formed with a downwardly extending peripheral flange 53 bentinwardly about a coil spring 54 forming the yielding shock absorbingcontact member for the central terminal of the battery. Preparatory toassembly, spring 54 and disc 52 are united and disc 52 fastened to theinsulatory disc 49 to form a second unit by means of the eyelet 51.Other ways of assembly are, of course, possible. For instance, spring 54may be assembled to disc 52 by snapping it into the part 53 as a finaloperation after the other parts are assembled.

Then to assemble the lamp socket support, the fibre disc 49 is fittedwithin the flange 44 and is held thereby to the disc 43 by bending theflange 44' inwardly to a form substantially that shown. The shape of theflange 44 thus not only facilitates the centering of the lamp socketsupport on the flashlight casing and makes contact with the conductorstrip 15, but also serves the added purposeof securing the partstogether. It is to be noted that the eyelet 51 is a contact for thecentral terminal of the lamp base 3 and the electrical circuit from thecentral terminal 22 of the battery 2 to the central terminal of the lampbase includes the spring 54, the metallic disc 52 and the metalliceyelet 51, while the circuit from the zinc cup terminal of the battery 2to the threaded base of the lamp comprises, in part, the upper contactstrip 11, flange 44, disc 43 and eyelet posing the threads as bothinterior and exterior threads. The exterior threads are. utilized toreceive the hood 24 supporting the reflector 26 and lens 4. This hood 24may be of any desired size and shape and the threaded portion thereofispreferably arranged to screw down and up the hood collar for thepurpose of focusing the light.

Preferably the reflector 26 iscarried by this hood 24 and'is centrallyapertured with a hole of sufficient size to pass the lamp bulb and toavoid electrical contact with thelamp socket or the terminal portion 3of the lamp. The interior threads of the projecting end of hood collar'23 are adapted to receive a threaded retaining ring 27 screwedthereinto and arranged so as to engage the marginal upper face of theinsulatory head or disc 40 to bear against it andhold it firmly on theupper edge of the casing 1. In order to facilitate the manipulation ofthis clamping collar for ready removal and replacement, its outer end isconveniently curled in wardly, as at 28, or otherwise formed, to providea gripping surface and this gripping surface is preferably knurled orotherwise surfaced for enabling the user to obtain a frictional gripupon the same. It will be apparent that in use the hood 24 can beunscrewed and taken off, thereby V exposing the retaining ring 2'7which, in turn, can be unscrewed. to thereby release the disc 40 foraccess to the batterythereby permitting its displacement; Replacement ofthe collar will clamp the support 40 in place and position the contactspring 54 ready tobe engaged by the battery terminal when a new batteryis slipped into place. The retaining ring 27 with the knurled grip 28thus constitutes readily removq able means for holding the lamp socketin position.

What is claimed is:

1. 'A lamp socket support for a flashlight comprising a fibre discformed centrally with a hole, a metal disc formed centrally with a holeand of a diameter less than the fibre disc and' formed with a peripheralflange, a lamp socket formed with eyelet means passing through the holesand clamping the two discs together, a second fibre disc disposedadjacent the metal disc and. within the flange, said flange beingdeflected inwardly around the periphery of the second fibre disc tosecure it in position, a second metal disc formed with a peripheralflange, an eyelet securing the second metal disc to the second namedfibre disc substantially in the axis of the holes, a helical coil springwithin the flange on the second named metal disc, said flange beingdeflected inwardly around a coil of the spring.

2. A lamp socket support for a flashlight comprising an insulatory disc,a metallic disc, said discs being formed, respectively, with holes inregister, a lamp socket carried by the metallic disc concentric with thehole and passing through the hole in the insulatory disc, means tosecure the insulatory disc and metallic disc together, a

disc, a conductive battery contact member and rivet means securing thecontact member to the second insulatory disc on the side opposite to themetallic disc, said rivet means serving as a contact for the centralterminal of a lamp in the socket.

3. A lamp socket support for a flashlight comprising an insulatorymember, a metallic member, said members being respectively formedcentrally with holes in register, a lamp socket in register with theholes, means securing the socket and said two members together, a secondinsulatory member disposed adjacent the metallic member,

a yielding thrust member, means to secure the thrust member to thesecond insulatory member and passing through the second insulatorymember centrally thereof to serve as a contact for a lamp.

4. In a lamp socket support for a flashlight comprising an insulatorydisc, a metal disc formed centrally with a hole and having a peripheralflange, a lamp socket support carried with the insulatory disc centrallythereof, a second insulatory disc adjacent the metal disc and within theflange, said flange being deflected inwardly around the periphery of thesecond insulatory disc to secure it in position and a battery contact 7member carried centrally of the second insulatory disc and passingtherethrough to serve as a contact forthe lamp.

5. Alamp socket support for a flashlight comprising an insulatorymember, a metallic member, said members being respectively formedcentrally with holes in register, a lamp socket clamping means securedto the socket and passing through the holes to clamp the said twomembers together, a second insulatory member disposed adjacent themetallic member, a metallic member fastened thereto, a yielding thrustmember secured to said last named metallic member and extendingtherefrom in a direction opposite to the socket and means fastening thefirst named metallic member and the second named insulatory membertogether.

GEORGE H. BARBER. GOODRICH B. PRATT.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTlON.

Patent No. 1,992,140. February 19, 1935.

GEORGE H. BARBER, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows; Page 2,second column, after line 48, insert the following paragraphs:

It will thus be seen that a lamp socket support has been provided whichis displaceable and is readily secured in position and removed by novel,easily operable fastening means. The lamp socket support may, ifdesired, be assembled without the aid of more then one eyelet or thelike. An improved yielding or resilient battery positioning element isalso provided which is simple to manufacture and while particularlyadapted to cooperate with the bottom cap shown is equally applicable toany flashlight bottom cap.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in theconfiguration, composition and disposition of the component elementsgoing to make up the invention as a whole, as well as in the selectivecombination or application oi the respective elements, and no limitationis intended by the phraseology oi the foregoing description orillustrations in the accompanying drawings, except as indicated in theappended claims.

The term rivet has been used througheut to designate a generic fasteningmeans. Obviously, eyelets or other fastening means are within theintendtnent oi the invention.

And that the said Letters Patent shouid be read with this correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record oi the case in thePatent ()ifice,

Signed and sealed this 19th day of March, A. D. 1935.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

